Visual aid instructional kit



June 24, 1969 Y. G w n' 3,451,152

VISUAL AID INSTRUCTIONAL KIT Filed April 18, 1967 INVENTOR John G. Whi Te YMQZMW 4 9,

4/ 76 ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent O US. Cl. 40-86 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A portable case houses a scroll having a paper medium which is advanced across the front surface of the case through the use of cranks that operate the rolls of the scroll. Written material on the scroll may be displayed by placing the case on :a supporting surface such as a table, or the case may be mounted on a stand to provide a selfsupporting display device. When it is desired to compose on the scroll, these same legs are attached to the case in a manner to form a composing table with the front surface of the case presenting the tabletop. Alternatively, a pair of additional, shorter legs may be utilized in conjunction with the case to support the latter at an inclination when the case, with legs attached, is placed on an existing table or other supporting surface. All of the various leg components are completely detachable and are stored within the case except when in actual use, thus providing an assembly which is entirely self-contained.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a scroll-type device for displaying written material in which the material may be composed on the scroll without removing the latter from the device in order to provide an assembly which is entirely self-contained and permits both the composing and displaying functions to be readily accomplished. In particular, the instant invention is useful as a visual instructional aid which is operated by a teacher or lecturer to augment a verbal presentation.

As a corollary to the foregoing object, it is an important aim of the invention to provide a scroll-type display device as aforesaid which may be converted into a composing table through the use of components supplied with the device so that the lecturer or teacher may prepare a les son prior to delivery without having conveniences at hand such as a large table upon which to unroll a blank scroll and compose the written matter. In missionary work or other endeavors requiring that instruction be given in remote and often undeveloped areas, the need exists for an instructional aid having the mentioned dual capability.

Another important object is to provide a device as aforesaid in the nature of a portable case which may be conveniently carried from place-to-place and in which the various components of the assembly are stored for use at a location where instruction is to be given, or at a location where the written text for a subsequent lecture is to be prepared.

A further and important object of the invention is to provide a device as aforesaid having two display options and two composing options, permitting maximum versatility in the use of the invention. Specifically, the display options include the supporting of the scroll-containing case upon a stand or, alternatively, supporting the case directly upon a table or other flat surface. The composing options include the use of the case and associated legs in conjunction with a table to provide an inclined working surface upon which the user may compose the desired text; alternatively, the same legs utilized to provide the stand for the case when displaying the written material may be employed with the case to form a composing table Without the use of additional components.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front, perspective view of the case;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the case showing the various other components of the device stored therewithin;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2, and showing a cover in position on the case;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view showing one way in which the device may be utilized to facilitate composing on the scroll;

FIG. -5 is a perspective view illustrating the case with the stand attached; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the device assembled to form a self-supporting composing table.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1-3, a rectangular case 10 is shown having a base 12 and a front display surface 14, the top of case 10 being provided with a handle 16 to permit case 10 to be readily carried from place to place. A pair of parallel, longitudinal slots 18 extend through the front wall of case 10 and communicate surface 14 with the interior thereof. Slots 18 are disposed adjacent the top and bottom of case 10', respectively, and receive an exposed stretch 20 of a scroll 22.

The scroll 22 includes an upper roll 24 and a lower roll 26 which support a paper medium of which the exposed stretch 20 is a part. Brackets 28 mount rolls 24 and 26 within case 10, the latter being open at the rear as is clear in FIG. 2. A pair of removable cranks 30* and 32 provide a means of rotating rolls 24 and 26 by hand. In FIG. 2, crank 32 is shown detached from roll 26, and it may be seen that crank 32 is rigid with a threaded stub shaft 32a. An axle extension 34 on roll 26 is axially tapped to receive shaft 32a upon insertion of the latter through an opening 36 in the sidewall 38 of case 10. The threads of shaft 32a and extension 34 tend to tighten the threaded interconnection as crank 32 is operated to rotate roll 26, thereby preventing inadvertent loosening of crank 32. An identical arrangement is provided for crank 30 except that the threads are reversed, it being thus appreciated that both cranks 30 and 32 may be removed when case 10' is being transported to free the latter from interfering projections.

A central shelf 40 extends between sidewall 38 and an opposing sidewall 42 of case 10, four side-by-side legs 44 being shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 supported by shelf 40 in a pair of spaced cradles 46. A retaining bar 48 overlies the four legs 44 and is held in firm engagement therewith by a wing nut 50. Four generally cone-shaped leg extensions 52 depend from shelf 40 and are secured thereto by screws 54 which extend downwardly through shelf 40 and are received within tapped holes (not shown) in the smaller ends of the extensions 52.

The base 12 of case 10 is formed by a bottom member 56 integral with sidewalls 38 and 42 and an underlying base section 58 having four slide casters 60 secured thereto. Base section 58 is removably attached to bottom member 56 by a pair of nut and bolt connections, the knurled nut 62 of one of the connections being shown in FIG. 3.

An upstanding strip or flange 64 cooperates with bottom member '56, sidewalls 38 and 42, and the front wall of case 10 to provide a shallow receptacle in the bottom of the case in which a pair of legs 66 are conveniently stored, as shown in FIG. 3. The receptacle thus formed also provides convenient storage space for cranks 30 and 32 when the same are detached from rolls 24 and 26.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that, in one mode of utilization, stretch 20' is threaded through slots 18 so as to extend over the front surface 14 of case 10 during installation of scroll 22. The installation of the scroll may, for example, be facilitated by the use of a 3 recessed, spring-loaded plunger 68 that receives and rotatably supports the left axle of the lower roll 26 (as viewed in FIG. 2), plunger 68 being withdrawn to release lower roll 26 by grasping and pulling outwardly upon a knurled knob 7 0. By rotating cranks 30 or 32 as desired, the written matter on the scroll is progressively advanced across the surface 14 and may thus be viewed. Case 10 is supported by the base section 58 thereof upon a table (not shown) or other structure available to place surface 14 at the desired viewing level. When used in this fashion, it is evident that legs 44 and their associated components are not required and may remain in storage within case 10.

FIGURE 5 shows a second manner in which the display device may be utilized, and illustrates the securing of legs 44 to case to provide a stand therefor. Each leg 44- is externally threaded at its uppermost end and may thus be secured to the smaller end of one of the extensions 52, upon removal of legs 44 and extensions 52 from their storage mounts within case 10'. A threaded stud 72 projecting from the larger end of each of the extensions 52 is threaded into a tapped opening 74 in an angularly disposed mounting plate element 76 secured to the underside of base section 58. Four mounting elements 76 are provided, two adjacent each end of base section 58, the inclination of the axes of the tapped openings 74 being such as to spread legs 44 as illustrated in FIG. 5 to impart stability to the stand.

FIGURE 6 illustrates the arrangement of the components when it is desired to form a composing table. Each leg 44, with its extension 52 removed, is inserted into one of four t-ubular mounting fixtures 78, the latter being disposed at the four corners of case 10 as is clear in FIG. 2. A tapped insert 80 (FIG. 3) in each fixture 7 8 threadably receives the externally threaded upper end of leg 44. If desired, the axial lengths of the two inserts 80 at the normally uppermost corners of case 10 may be slightly greater than the lengths of the other inserts 80 to provide a slight inclination to surface 14. Base section 58 is removed to complete the table assembly.

FIGURE 4 illustrates the second manner in which the device may be utilized to facilitate the composing of text on scroll 22 without removing the latter from case 10. The two shorter legs 66, stored within the receptacle at the bottom of case 10, are employed by inserting the legs in the two normally uppermost, tubular mounting fixtures 78. Base section 58 is removed, and the assembly is supported on an existing table or other flat surface.

In disassembled form with the various leg components of the device in their stored positions within case 10, a cover 82 in the form of a plastic sheath is slipped over the case from the top, a clearance opening being provided for handle 16. Cover 82 protects the exposed stretch 20 of scroll 22 and also closes the open rear of case 10.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for displaying written material comprising:

a case provided with a front display surface;

means in said case for supporting a scroll and operable to advance successive stretches of the scroll over said surface,

said case having a base normally supporting the same with said surface in a first, outwardly facing, material-displaying disposition;

a set of legs,

said case being provided with mounting structure for said legs spaced from said base and permitting positioning of the legs in outwardly extending relationship to the case for supporting the latter with said surface in a second, upwardly facing disposition for ease in composing on the scroll thereupon without removing the scroll from the case,

said legs, when positioned in said outwardly extending relationship to the case, cooperating with said base to provide a means for supporting the case at a substantial inclination on a table or the like with said surface in said second disposition; and

a second set of at least three legs normally detached from the case,

said base being provided with mounting means for said second set of legs permitting the latter to be removably attached to the case in downwardly extending relationship thereto, whereby to provide a stand for the case.

2. The invention of claim 1,

said case having mounting fixtures therein, including said mounting structure, for said second set of legs permitting the latter to be removably attached to the case in rearwardly extending relationship thereto, whereby the device may be arranged to provide a table with said surface presenting the top thereof to facilitate direct composing on the scroll.

'3. A device for displaying written material comprising:

a case having a base and a front display surface;

means in said case for supporting a scroll and operable to advance successive stretches of the scroll over said surface; and

a set of at least three legs,

said base having mounting means for said legs permitting the latter to be removably attached to the base in downwardly extending relationship thereto, whereby to provide a stand for the case and support said surface in a material-displaying disposition,

said case having mounting structure therein for said legs permitting the latter to be removably attached to the case in rearwardly extending relationship thereto, whereby the device may be arranged to provide a table with said surface presenting the top thereof to facilitate composing on the scroll without removing the latter from the case.

'4. The invention of claim 3,

said structure comprising a plurality of spaced, tubular mounting fixtures for receiving respective legs in telescoping interrelationship thereto.

5. The invention of claim 3,

said legs being four in number,

each of said legs having a pair of opposed ends and being provided with a removable extension at one end thereof,

said mounting means comprising four elements engageable with respective extensions and cooperable therewith to secure the legs to the base.

6. The invention of claim 5,

said case having a shelf therein for supporting said legs when the latter are in nonuse, retaining means engageable with the legs when the latter are on said shelf, and means for releasably securing said extensions to the shelf, whereby the device may be carried from place-to-place entirely contained within said case.

7. A device for displaying written material comprising:

a case provided with a front display surface;

means in said case for supporting a scroll and operable to advance successive stretches of the scroll over said surface,

said ease having a base normally supporting the same with said surface in a first, outwardly facing, material-displaying disposition;

a set of legs,

said case being provided with mounting structure for said legs spaced from said base and permitting positioning of the legs in outwardly extending relationship to the case for supporting the latter with said surface in a second, upwardly facing disposition for ease in composing on the scroll thereupon without removing the scroll from the case,

said legs, when positioned in said outwardly extending relationship to the case, cooperating with said base to provide a means of supporting the case at a sub- '5 6 stantial inclination on a table or the like with said References Cited surface in said second disposition; and UNITED STATES PATENTS a second set of at least three legs normally detached 371 979 10/1887 Robertson 40 06 from the case 2 527 816 10/1950 Herlache 312 256 YR sald case having mountlng fixtures therem, includlng 1 said mounting structure, for said second set of legs 5 9/1952 Levmson 312 255 XR permitting the latter to be removably attached to the case in rearwardly extending relationship thereto, LAWRENCE CHARLES Primal) Exammer' whereby the device may be arranged to provide a U S C1 XR table with said surface presenting the top thereof to 10 facilitate direct composing on the scroll. 

